SINCE Aug. 1, 2020, a total of 550 units of GrabCar, an accredited transport network vehicle service (TNVS), have been issued a special permit (SP) to operate in Cebu.
Eduardo Montealto Jr., Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) 7 director, said the number is part of the 13,457 overall total of mixed type of public utility vehicles (PUVs) issued SPs to operate as of Nov. 20.
As of now, only Grab is accredited to serve as TNVS in Cebu.
Montealto also said the processing for granting of SP is still ongoing as they have allocated a total of 1,500 slots for TNVS in Cebu.
It was only in 2018 when TNVS was acknowledged as a form of PUV whereby its units must operate at least 13 hours a day regularly, he said.
TNVS, he said, must also have personal passenger insurance and bank conformity informing the bank that the car unit loaned is for commercial use, among other requirements.
These TNVS are required to follow the minimum health protocol such as having a driver’s compartment, a “no mask and face shield, no ride” policy and the implementation of cashless payment.
Though the LTFRB is pushing for cashless payment, Montealto said they have not been strict with the cashless payment enforcement yet as not all passengers have cashless payment applications.
Grab-accredited vehicles also have to undergo a full disinfection twice a week from Grab’s 30 partner car wash stations that follow LTFRB guidelines. / WBS